Five Secrets for Quitting Smoking in 2015

Most smokers say they want to quit and many will make a New Year’s Resolution to quit in 2015. If this is your year to quit, the American Lung Association shares five tips to help you on the path to success:

1. 

   Image/CDC

   It’s never too late to quit. While it’s best to quit smoking as early as possible, quitting smoking at any age will enhance the length and quality of your life. You’ll also save money and avoid the hassle of going outside in the cold to smoke. You can even inspire those around you to quit smoking!

2. Learn from past experiences. Most smokers have tried to quit before and sometimes people get discouraged thinking about previous attempts. Instead, treat those experiences as steps on the road to future success. Think about what helped you during those tries and what you’ll do differently in your next quit attempt.
3. You don’t have to quit alone. Telling friends and family that you’re trying to quit and enlisting their support will help ease the process. Expert help is available from the American Lung Association and other groups. Friends who also smoke may even join you in trying to quit!
4. Medication can help, if you know what to do. The seven FDA-approved medications (like nicotine patches or gum) really do help smokers quit.  Many folks don’t use them correctly or don’t use them long enough, so be sure to follow the directions.
5. Every smoker can quit. At the American Lung Association, we firmly believe that every smoker can quit. Each person needs to find the right combination of techniques for them and above all, they need to keep trying.

For anyone who is ready to try quitting for the first time, tried before and is ready to try again, or is ready to help someone else quit, the American Lung Association has tools and tips you need. Our Freedom From Smoking® program is available in an in-person group setting or online. Our Freedom From Smoking® Helpline (1-800-LUNGUSA) is staffed with smoking cessation experts who can get you started on a quit plan, answer your questions and help you on the path to becoming tobacco-free. Calls are toll-free at 1-800-LUNGUSA.

“Freedom From Smoking® helped me quit because I felt I had the encouragement and support of a whole movement behind me, a movement that had really thought about the best way to reach out and break the hold cigarettes had on me,” said Steve Ginther of New York City.  “Step-by-step and day by day, the program was easy to follow and I was able to go at my own pace.  The relaxation exercises and the personal dedication of the staff to my quitting made me what I am today, a non-smoker!”

Quitting isn’t easy but 50 million ex-smokers in the United States are proof that it’s possible. Make 2015 the year you begin a new, smokefree life!